STUDENTS at Warwick University are forking out thousands of pounds a year in charges for returning library books late, it has been revealed.

A Freedom of Information request showed that the university received £106,498 in library fines in 2008/09, which increased by £21,534 to a whopping £128,032 in 2009/10.

The university charges a standard fee of 20p per item per day, with short loans charged at £1 per hour, three-day loans at 30p per day and recalled items at £1 per day.

The maximum fine per item is £35 and students whose fines reach £10 are not able to renew, reserve or borrow books.

The university made around £10,663 per month – or £350 per day – from late returns last year.

This means that on any given day, with a charge of 20p each, there could be as many as 1,750 late items.

If these are then attributed to each individual student, around seven per cent of the university’s 20,000 population would be facing library fines.

A university spokesman said the cash was spent on new books and academic journals.

“The increase between 2008/09 and 2009/10 is mainly because library fines went up in 2009 as they had remained the same for the previous 10 years despite the increase in the average cost of a new academic book.

“In October 2009 the charges were increased slightly to encourage users to return items and thereby improve the circulation of the stock.

“The increases were comparable with other key universities and focused on the higher use items such as items from the Short Loan Collection, three- day loans and recalls.”